WalMart questions use of ammo

D

Dr. J

New member
In an attempt to assemble a variety of .22LR ammo for testing, I wandered into WallyWorld. As the clerk rang up my purchases, the computer wanted to know if the ammo was for a handgun or not. I never bought anything firearms related from WalMart before (other than cleaning supplies), but have bought from a number of other places and have never run into this question. Anybody know what's up with this?

Also wanted to know if I was over 21. I was.
 
Well, I have forgotten the details (and, to be frank, don't care too much ... I'm old enough ;) ), but this does relate to a legal age requirement. Some retailers have been hassled about this, though I don't recall if Wal-Mart was the target.

Seems to me you must be 21 to buy handgun ammo, but only 18 for long gun ammo ... ? This is a legal CYA, not simply a Wal-Mart curiosity thing, I'm sure.

I agree that logic is a little off on this, but since when were gun / citizen control laws logical?

Regards from AZ
 
That's normal practice at the Wallys I've visited that had ammo (apparently redline certain minority communities). The first time the clerk and his lady coworker thought he was obligated to walk me to the front door.

Just smile and not your head...
 
I haven't seen 21 in a couple of decades so I don't remember the last time that I was asked this question but the way that I understand it is that they are not allowed to sell handgun ammo to anyone under 21. Since .22LR could also be used in a rifle, you were asked those questions. If you were going to use it in a handgun, they technically couldn't sell it to you but if you were going to shoot it out of a rifle, then it would have been okay.
Share what you know & learn what you don't -- FUD
fud-nra.gif
 
Federal law says that if ammunition can be used in both handguns and rifles and there is some doubt as to whether the purchaser is between 18 and 21 the clerk has to ask what the ammo is intended for. If the 18-21 year old says "handgun" there is no sale. If he says "rifle" you may proceed. Wal-Mart has programmed the question into the registers. The clerk may or may not know the details of the law, they are just responding to register cues.
 
FUD and Jeff got it. I work there part-time for a second job in Sporting Goods. It asks if the ammo is for a handgun to know what age the person has to be. Then it will ask if you are 18 or 21 depending on what type of firearm you are using it for. It is just a CYA thing and for a store that sells beer and guns under the same roof, I don't get too worked up over some of the little things like that. Not that you sound "worked up" but you wouldn't believe some of the lectures I have received over those 2 questions :rolleyes: .
 
I ran into this once in the last couple of months. I have purchased ammo from this Walley World on several occasions, this time however the clerk in the sporting goods said his register was closed and said just pay for it up front when you leave. It was a couple of boxes of .223 When the kid at the front counter scanned it he looks up with a Duh look and says, "is this for a handgun?" .223, it's for a rifle I answered. He went on his merry way and finished checking us out. Wife and I thought it was kinda strange but never gave it anymore thought.
 
It's part of the register program. The question automatically shows up on the checker's screen. The first time it happened to me, I just said it was for a rifle. The second time, I was ready for the question, but the checker just typed in a response just to get rid of the question. No problem for me.
 
Never been asked THAT question...was carded a couple of years ago at the local grocery. Had an expired out-of-state liscence and even tho I was 32 they wouldn't sell. So I said "Ok" and walked out the door-looped around and came in the other set. got my beer went thru a different register and paid....walked by the lady that had given me probs and waved on my way out.

I'd do the same at Wally World. :)

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Satanta, the Whitebear
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It's a shame. Truly a shame. Sure, you can just say it's a CYA thing and forget about it. But it's a very deep indicator of the time we live in folks. Why are they asking? To cover themselves. ...but keep going! Why do THEY have to cover themselves? They aren't using the ammo. The responibility problem of our time is growing quickly. If I walk into WM, buy ammo from them and go and shoot some poor feller's cat...then I might not be the only person held responsible if they didn't ask me if I was buying inside the law.

It's extreme, but I think carding is ridiculous. Better than carding is enforcing the law. Post a cop outside undercover. If some 15 year old buys liquor, arrest him. The KID bought the liqour. HE committed the crime. Arrest the KID.

We need to get back to an atomosphere of personal responsibility as a country. But sadly, we are moving away from that.


Hueco
 
Hueco, I agree 100%! We've gotten into this mode that something is always somebody else's fault ...<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI> I smoked cigerattes for 30 years despite warnings on the pack, on TV, etc. and now I'm dying of cancer and it's the tobacco industry's fault.
<LI> I order hot coffee and accidently spill it on myself and I can sue & win because the coffee was hot but if I didn't spill it on myself and the coffee was cold, I would complain about that as well.</UL>... I recall ...<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI> A thief was breaking into a building -- he was trespassing someplace where he didn't belong. He fell & injuried himself and he sued & won!
<LI> I was at a highway stop and watched a husband opening a door for his wife but neither one was paying attention to the other and in the process he smashed her in the face with it. and there was blood everywhere. A couple of days later, I read about this in the paper and the woman was suing the store because it was their door that broke her nose.</UL>With freedom comes responsibility. You can't have one without the other and in our society nobody is responsible for anything any more. I think that this is a fundamental reason why our gun rights are being attacked & limited -- Mr. Joe Citizen is not responsible to shoot a lot of bullets, let's impose a 10-round magazine limit. The poor, misunderstood killer was not responsible for his rampage, let's introduce more restrictions. And so on, and so on.

Sorry for the topic veer.
 
Funny that this post is up.

Last weekend, my wife and I went to Wal-Mart to buy groceries and other necessary supplies (a brick of 22lr). When asked by the cashier which gun I intending using it in, I said, "Yes." This stumped her a moment. She punched in handgun and moved on. Amazing, that in the act of *throwing* money at a business, that we have to put up with these little irritations?

Oh, and something else . . .

Why is it that a person can parade around the store with shotgun and .22 ammo all day until he's ready to check out, yet Wal-Mart policy is to keep the other ammo (.38, .45, 9mm, etc.) behind the glass? Hasn't common sense told someone that the stuff they let you walk around with is just as deadly? Do they think they're protecting customers, themselves, or is it just easier to keep the stuff from "walking off"? I guess logic has nothing to do with it, or my knowledge of Wal-Mart policy is grossly inadequate.

(RAMBLE OFF)
 
I know I'm "dating" myself, but it wasn't all that long ago that you had to sign for all pistol ammo.
 
Just a little update. Last night I sold somebody a brick of 22LR and the first question was age, the SECOND question was asking what type of gun. I had it backwards in my previous post. Now that brings up an interesting point. Why does it ask this? :confused:

It made me angry that they ask this because it is none of their business. I will be calling 1-800-WAL-MART and asking why this question is on there. I had originally thought that it was the other way around and only asked to see which age limit to impose.

I too agree with Hueco and FUD that this country is heading down the wrong path and I never hear anybody complaining about it that has a "voice" in the media. Is it too Un-PC to voice an objection to stupidity.

I too heard about the thief that broke into someones home, he tripped over a coffee table and sued the homeowners for "Excessive Decoration" and won. :mad:

[This message has been edited by HukeOKC (edited August 04, 2000).]
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by HukeOKC:
Just a little update. Last night I sold somebody a brick of 22LR and the first question was age, the SECOND question was asking what type of gun. I had it backwards in my previous post. Now that brings up an interesting point. Why does it ask this? :confused:
[/quote]

This is the right way to ask it. Since I am over 21, they do not even need to ask what kind of gun. Therefore, most people only get one question if they ask age first. When you get really old, they don't ask, just key in the bypas code and move onto the next step, so no questions at all. Reminds me of when I stopped getting carded in bars, I knoew I was getting old...

Don't blame Wally, blame your government. Be sure to vote in November.

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galt
Speak Out on the Net http://www.netcitizen.org
 
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